One Piece of Advice From 42 Romance Authors in 2023
Most stories involve some form of romance (or at least romantic tension), but romance novels put the love story front and center. Of course, there is usually something (or many things) else happening that challenges the romance, but a good romance delivers on that happily ever after (or at least happy for now).
(How to Write a Romance Novel: The Keys to Conflict.)
Here I’ve collected one piece of advice from 42 romance authors who were featured in our author spotlight series in 2023. Be sure to click the author names if you’d like to read their full author spotlights from earlier this year.
“Take your time and be prepared to write then rewrite, and to write from character. As the writer, you are getting to know your characters, their unique circumstances, what they think they want, and what they really need. Get to know your characters and let them show you how they see the world then challenge them.” –Amal Awad, author of Courting Samira (HarperVia)
“Take care of yourself. This business can be brutal, lonely, and sometimes disappointing. Incorporating a self-care routine into your writing process is essential to your peace and productivity.” –Lacey Baker, author of Snow Place Like Home: A Christmas Novel (Thomas Nelson Fiction)
“It’s easier said than done, of course, but always look for the joy in the writing process. And don’t be afraid to ask for what you need, whether that be support or an extended deadline, let your team know what you need and let them be there for you.” –Falon Ballard, author of Just My Type (GP Putnam’s Sons)
“Don’t move in behind a gas station. No matter how many trees there seem to be.” –Lexi Blake, author of Bayou Beloved (Berkley)
“Write what you know and power through! (I know that’s technically two pieces of advice, but they go together, I swear!)” –Becky Chalsen, author of Kismet (Dutton)
“Find other writers with whom you can trade off as alpha readers for true first drafts. Trust that they won’t judge you for work that’s in the process of becoming.” –Rosie Danan, author of Do Your Worst (Berkley)
“Persevere. If a novel you’ve spent years on doesn’t get picked up by an agent (if that’s the path you want), learn from the writing of it and write the next book. I was in my late 40s when my first novel was published. If you want to write and you love to write, keep writing.” –Jen DeLuca, author of Well Traveled (Berkley Romance)
“Do your research! I often get pulled out of stories when things happen that I know from my experience are wrong. If you’re going to write about looping camera feeds, then learn how to do it as if you were planning to do it yourself. If you need to know how difficult it is to throw a rope up three stories in the rain, give it a try. If you want to write about a mysterious rogue with a love for plants, then you’d better learn the plant names because there are people out there who are going to know plants better than you!” –Sarah Desai, author of To Have and To Heist (Berkley Romance)
“Pretty much anytime I tell someone that I write books, they tell me they’ve always wanted to and go on to tell me about their amazing ideas. My advice is always the same—you should write it! Ideas are great, but a book won’t come to fruition unless you actually take the time to write it. To craft the story. So, my advice is to write!” –Jillian Dodd, author of Popularity Isn’t Easy (Swoonworthy Books)
“Finish the book! I know that sounds obvious, but in the early stages of my writing career, I was very hung up on eternally revising… which meant a lot of books were left unfinished. You learn so much from seeing a story through—even if it’s going to take a lot of polishing after the fact. There’s always time to clean it up later, but you can’t revise words that aren’t there!” –Jennifer Dugan, author of Love at First Set (Avon)
“If you can, cut out all the noise, and focus only on the wonderful words.” –Evie Dunmore, author of The Gentleman’s Gambit (Berkley Romance)
“Read widely, write plenty.” –Melodie Edwards, author of Jane & Edward: A Modern Reimagining of Jane Eyre (Berkley)
“Write as if you are Superman, and it’s your responsibility to save the day.” –Brian Feehan, author of Harmony of Lies (Jove)
“Allow yourself to bask! With deadlines and pressure to deliver something that people will enjoy, there are oftentimes moments where we get so stressed that we don’t allow ourselves even a tiny moment to just bask in the experience that is writing a book. It’s a major accomplishment, and I am more than guilty of not taking the proper time to relish it.” –Lana Ferguson, author of The Nanny (Berkley Romance)
“Lots of writers say this, but it’s good advice: Read often and read widely.” –Kristina Forest, author of The Neighbor Favor (Berkley)
“I have two pieces of advice, and they’re both kind of annoying. The first is for people who dream of writing a book, and that is that you have to write a book in order to have written a book. Writing a novel was always a goal of mine, but I assumed I’d never do it. The trick, it turned out, was committing to finishing a draft and to not stop until I finished. The second is to exercise, or if that’s not an option available to you, to have a practice that gives your brain a break (coloring books, cross-stitch, puzzles, etc.). Running (and walking when I’m not able to run) is essential to my editorial process. It’s where I come up with many of my ideas, how I shake off the cobwebs when I’m feeling stuck, and how I cope with much of the anxiety that comes with being a writer and author.” –Carley Fortune, author of Meet Me at the Lake (Berkley)
“A lot of people say, ‘Write the next thing,’ after a big project. I have learned this advice simply does not work for me. I cannot produce good work when I am exhausted and depleted. So my advice is, if writing the next thing sounds impossible, it’s okay to wait, it’s okay to relax, it’s okay to decompress and figure things out and read and drink tea and start seeds before drafting the next book.” –Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, author of Witch of Wild Things (Berkley)
“Oldest advice in the book, but: just write. If I’m starting a new book or a new chapter or sometimes even a new sentence, and I have that instinct to put the computer away because it feels too daunting or self-doubt is creeping in, it’s the only advice that matters. Just write!” –Kate Golden, author of A Dawn of Onyx (Berkley)
“I’ve said this more than once in workshops for writers: You can lie to your lover; you can lie to your mother; you can even lie to yourself—but a good writer NEVER lies to her reader. It matters.” –Jennifer Greene, author of Hideaway at Silver Lake (Avon)
“My agent’s brilliant advice at the start of a new book is just to ‘race to the end.’ It’s about getting through that messy first draft, without too much tinkering. Once you have a story on the page, that’s where the real work starts and where the best writing happens. Remember, we all look at our stumbling first drafts and think, ‘What is this? I can’t write!’ You can!” –Emma Grey, author of The Last Love Note (Zibby Books)
“Achieving balance between the writing life and real life is important, but on most days it seems unattainable. Writing, at least for me, is an alpha and demands all my attention. My advice is to strive for balance by 1.) Doing self-care, 2.) maintaining relationships, and 3) doing those darned dishes or whatever chore that you might be putting off, but it keeps taking up space in your brain anyway. I believe I’m more productive when I’m attempting to stay balanced and not letting writing take over every aspect of my life. My motto is a balanced writer is a happy writer.” –Patience Griffin, author of Happily Ever Alaska (Berkley)
“I used to think writers were either plotters or pantsers, as if this were some innate and immutable quality. But—as a former pantser!—I’ve come to think that every writer can benefit hugely from planning ahead, by doing at least some of the plot arc and character work before diving into a draft. I’ve gone from almost no planning to always having a Google doc with a basic plot-beat outline and brief character sheets before I start writing. It makes the blank page so much less daunting, and the final product richer and more textured. Plus, if you have at least the sketch of a plot and a relatively clear idea of your main character and the supporting cast in mind, you’ll almost certainly have to do fewer editorial passes down the line.” –Lana Harper, author of Back in a Spell (Berkley Books)
“I’d say to cultivate resilience and have faith in yourself—not just your writing, but your ideas and your toughness. This industry can be brutal and overnight success is the exception, not the norm (and often not as ‘overnight’ as it seems). Believe in yourself, keep writing, keep learning, and keep pushing forward. That said, it’s okay to take breaks! Your health and happiness come first.” –Sarah Hawley, author of A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon (Berkley)
“There will always be someone more successful, more talented, more adored than you. Be happy for them, learn from them, and then get back to work.” –Kristan Higgins, author of A Little Ray of Sunshine (Berkley)
“Figure out how and when you work best. For me, it’s all about routine. My life and responsibilities have evolved a lot over the 26 years I’ve been writing. I had small children when I started, so I wrote every day during their naptimes. When they were older I wrote while they were in school, and in the summers my minivan became a mobile desk while they were at baseball, soccer, or football practice. Now that I’m an empty nester, I’m able to block out my writing time every day and get my pages done (mostly) without interruption. Whatever your schedule is, find a chunk of time you can devote to writing and do it without fail.” –Denise Hunter, author of A Novel Proposal (Thomas Nelson)
“Everyone has to find their own path, but resilience is the one ingredient that every writer needs. More than talent, maybe even more than luck. During those dark days when you’re writing through the saggy middle, or when you’ve written an entire book that doesn’t work, the quality that will help you through the wilderness is that burning resilience. An obsessive personality helps too, according to my husband!” –Uzma Jalaluddin, author of Much Ado About Nada (Berkley)
“Writing is an isolating journey. You need to find your trusted friends/mentors/companions to make it.” –Virginia Kantra, author of The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale (Berkley)
“The simplest advice is just write. While you’re at it, analyze all kinds of stories and figure out how and why they work. It also helps if you’re naturally a human sponge in social situations, observing people’s behavior and mentally recording the way people talk. (But not in a creepy way!) Give your work to anyone who is kind enough to read it. Listen to criticism and try to understand the note behind the note in a way that works for you. Then get your butt back in the chair and just keep writing.” –Sidney Karger, author of Best Men (Berkley)
“Never stop learning. Take workshops, read books and articles. Craft is not a bad word. I’m writing my 10th book, and I’m still striving to hone my technique and sharpen my voice and point of view.” –Tracey Livesay, author of The Duchess Effect (Avon)
“If it feels scary, you’re writing it right.” –Sarah MacLean, author of Knockout (Avon Books)
“Read and study the books you love in the genre you want to write in. See how they structure the story and how they get you to turn that page so easily. I think lots of people can write excellent prose but putting a story together is a craft and it helps to see how others have approached it (even if you end up rejecting it all and doing it your way!!).” –Cesca Major, author of Maybe Next Time (William Morrow)
“Write the pitch or the short summary of your book first. If you can’t condense your story into a compelling, easy-to-follow 200-300 words that clearly explains who your character is and what they’re up against, it usually means the idea needs work.” –Tori Anne Martin, author of This Spells Disaster (Berkley)
“Enjoy your craft. There’s a time for honing writing skills and challenging yourself. There will be critical readers and rejections. But writing should always be for you. You don’t have to enjoy every moment, but keep your joy and don’t let anyone or anything extinguish it.” –Sajni Patel, author of Isha, Unscripted (Berkley)
“Write what makes you feel and readers will feel it, too.” –Jennifer Ryan, author of Summer’s Gift (Avon)
“I think what works for writers varies so much from one person to next that it makes it hard to give advice. I can tell you that what works for me is getting up at 5 a.m. to write (before my kids are up) and making a habit out of writing instead of waiting for inspiration.” –Yaffa S. Santos, author of A Touch of Midnight (Harper Perennial)
“Be aware of writing ‘rules’ but know that you can break them too. For example, common advice says writers shouldn’t edit as they go, but I’m a huge fan of doing just that! In fact, I don’t think I’d be able to write without making changes as I go. Writing isn’t ‘one size fits all’—do what works for you.” –Victoria Schade, author of Unleashed Holiday (Berkley)
“This is probably extremely obvious to most people, but it took me a while to figure out: When you’re coming up with a book idea, pick something that you’re excited to devote a year or more of your life to. There are loads of things that I can be interested in for the length of time it takes to read a book, but the level of interest it takes to sustain writing a book is a whole different level. There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a draft and realizing that you’re bored, and then having to go back and fix or abandon it.” –Cat Sebastian, author of We Could Be So Good (Avon)
“Find a writing group, whether online or in person. People you can bounce ideas off of, talk about books and writing with, get advice from. My writing groups have been invaluable throughout this process. And one thing I always say is that your non-writing friends and family do not want to talk about books and writing as much as you do, even if they are supportive and excited about your books. So find your people. Also, if you’re thinking about writing a book and aren’t sure where to start, check out NaNoWriMo. It’s a great place to find a writing community and to get words on paper.” –Jo Segura, author of Raiders of the Lost Heart (Berkley)
“Write what you know! I think your passion for a subject or a type of character will come through in your writing. Some of my favorite characters, like Ali Hazelwood’s scientists or Mazey Eddings’ dentists, were born out of their creators’ former careers. I’m neither an artist nor an MBA, but I took readers in Sweeten the Deal to some of my favorite places in Boston, and hope that shines through.” –Katie Shepard, author of Sweeten the Deal (Berkley Romance)
“Having writer friends you trust, who want to help you succeed is a lifeline during the highs and lows of your publishing journey. Choose wisely and nurture those relationships.” –Julie Tieu, author of Fancy Meeting You Here (Avon)
“Find out who you are and put that on the page. Don’t chase trends. Don’t try to be like someone else. Learn who you are, what you care about and value. You don’t have to win over every reader, just honor the ones who accept you for who you are.” –Lori Wilde, author of The Wedding at Moonglow Bay (Avon Books)
“To find editors and beta readers who understand your voice but aren’t afraid to challenge and push you. And to write more than one book! Keep writing. Writing is like anything in life, you get better at it the more you do it.” –Samantha Young, author of The Love Plot (Berkley Romance)
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While there’s no shortage of writing advice, it’s often scattered around—a piece of advice here, words of wisdom there. And in the moments when you most need writing advice, what you find might not resonate with you or speak to the issue you’re dealing with. In A Year of Writing Advice, the editors of Writer’s Digest have gathered thoughts, musings, and yes, advice from 365 authors in dozens of genres to help you on your writing journey.